Most Popular Books by John Matthews

Offers a broad range of texts spanning six centuries of imperial Roman history—Volume II of Empire of the Romans, from Julius Caesar to Justinian Empire of the Romans: From Julius Caesar to Justinian: Six Hundred Years of Peace and War, Volume II: Select Anthology is a compendium of texts that trace the main historical changes of the empire over six hundred years, from the death of Julius Caesar to the late Middle Ages. The second volume of Empire of the Romans, from Julius Caesar to Justinian, this anthology balances literary texts with other documentary, legal, and epigraphic sources. Acclaimed author John Matthews presents texts that reflect individual, first-person experiences rather than those from historians outside of the time periods of which they write. Each selection includes an introduction, annotations on points of interest, author commentary, and suggestions for further reading. Excerpts are organized thematically to help readers understand their meaning without requiring an extensive knowledge of context. Six sections—running in parallel to the structure and content to Volume I—explore the topics such as the building of the empire, Pax Romana, the new empire of Diocletian and Constantine, and barbarian invasions and the fall of the Western Empire. Selected texts span a wide array of subjects ranging from political discourse and Roman law, to firsthand accounts of battle and military service, to the civic life and entertainment of ordinary citizens. This volume: Covers a vast chronological and topical range Includes introductory essays to each selected text to explain key points, present problems of interpretation, and guides readers to further literature Balances the different categories and languages of original texts Enables easy cross-reference to Volume I Minimizes the use of technical language in favor of plain-English forms Whether used as a freestanding work or as a complement to Volume I, the Select Anthology is an ideal resource for students in Roman history survey courses as well as interested general readers seeking a wide-ranging collection of readings on the subject.

New Paths on the Quest for the Grail Explore the transformative power of the Grail and discover extraordinary revelations from nearly forgotten Grail texts. Temple of the Grail offers the first English translations of the thirteenth-century Sone de Nansay and the Later Titurel by Albrecht, together with insights from the Letter of Prester John. These texts, along with brilliant commentary by foremost Grail scholars John Matthews and Gareth Knight, provide tantalizing clues into the modern understanding of the Grail quest, shedding important new light on the mysteries of the Grail temple itself, its relationship to the sacred understanding of architecture and symbolism, and its rediscovery in the heart of the Middle East. In addition, Temple of the Grail explores the lineage of the mystical Swan Knights, said to be guardians of the Grail descended from Sone himself. Filled with fascinating perspectives on one of the greatest mysteries of all time, this book is a must-have for Grail aficionados. The interpretations of the Grail temple and the effects of standing before the Grail live at the heart of the mystery. The profound ideas explored in Temple of the Grail open new pathways of engagement with this essential part of our continued spiritual evolution.

Traces how the grail has been portrayed in the various forms of the familiar Arthurian legend.

Throughout the ages and across the world in many shapes and guises, as healers, mystics and literary figures, wizards have played an important part in real-life communities and in the imagination of many cultures. Often illuminating the future and explaining the past, wizards have always had a very powerful role. This text traces the origins and legends of wizards, charting their myriad expressions through time and across cultures. It also includes a number of meditations and practices at the end of each chpater that enable us to make use of some of the legendary skills of the wizard.

Book with accompanying talisman template poster and 28 oracle cards.

The text is composed of research on the development of representational thinking from infancy through to adolescence. It makes a contribution to the theory of children''s development and to practitioners'' understanding.

"This is a great deck for collectors. There''s nothing else out there that is quite like it. The research and dedication to the project creates a great deal of depth and meaning that warrants respect and appreciation. This may not be a go to deck for regular readings, but its mysterious energy and information packed guidebook are a treat for Tarot lovers and collectors. If you are looking for a Tarot that isn''t afraid to break the mold, this might be just the deck you are looking for. --Aeclectic Tarot blog"

Voyages into Vision recounts the inspired lives of the Celtic saints, who carried the torch of the new faith of Christianity to the wild tribespeople of Britain and Ireland. Finding many parallels between their own wisdom and that of the Druids and other teachers of the Celtic people, they adapted their own teachings to include and reshape that of the older wisdom. • Features stories from the lives of 14 inspiring Celtic saints who lived between the third and seventh centuries CE • Scholar John Matthews retells and provides commentary on these stories, making them relevant and accessible to modern readers • Meditation notes and questions at the end of each chapter for those wishing to deepen their understanding of the stories and question their own voyage • Updates from prior edition with new illustrations by renowned artist Joe Machine and two additional entries on women saints, St. Gwenfrewi and St. Goibniu • Includes inspiring foreword by David Spangler, one of the founding figures of the modern New Age movement

An extensive investigation of the origins and numerous sightings of the mysterious and terrifying figure known as Spring-Heeled Jack • Shares original 19th-century newspaper accounts of Spring-Heeled Jack encounters as well as 20th and 21st-century reports • Explains his connections to Jack the Ripper and the Slender Man • Explores his origins in earlier mythical beings from folklore, his Steampunk popularity, and the theory that he may be an alien from a high-gravity planet Spring-Heeled Jack--a tall, thin, bounding figure with bat-like wings, clawed hands, wheels of fire for eyes, and breath of blue flames--first leapt to public attention in Victorian London in 1838, springing over hedges and walls, from dark lanes and dank graveyards, to frighten and sometimes physically attack women. News of this strange and terrifying character quickly spread, but despite numerous sightings through 1904 he was never captured or identified. Exploring the vast urban legend surrounding this enigmatic figure, John Matthews explains how the Victorian fascination with strange phenomena and sinister figures paired with hysterical reports enabled Spring-Heeled Jack to be conjured into existence. Sharing original 19th-century newspaper accounts of Spring-Heeled Jack sightings and encounters, he also examines recent 20th and 21st-century reports, including a 1953 UFO-related sighting from Houston, Texas, and disturbing accounts of the Slender Man, who displays notable similarities with Jack. He traces Spring-Heeled Jack’s origins to earlier mythical beings from folklore, such as fairy creatures and land spirits, and explores the theory that Jack is an alien marooned on Earth whose leaping prowess is attributed to his home planet having far stronger gravity than ours. The author reveals how Jack the Ripper, although a different and much more violent character, chose to identify himself with the old, well-established figure of Spring-Heeled Jack. Providing an extensive look at Spring-Heeled Jack from his beginnings to the present, Matthews illustrates why the worldwide Steampunk community has so thoroughly embraced Jack.

This is a story about drug addiction and all the things that surround that lifestyle. I was totally consumed, but by the grace of God, I was saved by a real-life supernatural experience, one that came with undeniable proof.

An exploration into the myths surrounding the figure of Robin Hood

Merlin, best known to us as the advisor of young King Arthur, is the most famous and familiar image of the magician that we possess. Acclaimed Arthurian expert John Matthews examines the many guises of this popular figure—as seer, prophet, magician, and inspiration to people from all walks of life. He explores the possible historic origins of Merlin as a Celtic king, the later literary forms of his legend in the myths of King Arthur, and his more recent manifestations in visionary works, as the prototype for characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars films, and other characters in TV and fantasy writing. Drawing on a wealth of sources from Celtic, medieval, and Renaissance times, this is the first, fully-illustrated book on Merlin, the man.

Merlin remains the most famous and familiar image of the magician we possess. In this new book, Arthurian expert John Matthews examines the many guises of Merlin.

`This book is a tremendous resource for any early years setting. It enables us and encourages us to explore the process of artistic development through a fresh and inclusive lens′ - Nursery World `This book is a welcome update of an informative text describing the process of children′s mark making as a visual, physical and interactive process urging us to consider how we as adults perceive and support young children′s mark making activities both at home and school. John Matthews demonstrates the cognitive function of this early mark making in relation to general individual development′ - Early Years `A thought-provoking and informative book, this is essential reading for anyone involved in the education of young children′ - Times Educational Supplement - Teacher `Drawing and Painting is a fascinating and delightful read for tutors, practitioners and students and is highly recommended an essential text for early years courses at level 3 and above′- Under Five This book has been revised to reflect recent developments in early childhood education, in developmental psychology and in our understanding of children′s development in the arts. The author shows how this new model of children′s development in visual representation has important implications for education. The author examines children′s development in visual expression and suggests how this development might be supported. The book takes issue with the inherited wisdom about children′s development in visual representation. The traditional approach describes children′s development in terms of supposed deficits in which children progress from `primitive′ earlier stages to `superior′ ones, until the `defects′ in their representational thinking are overcome and they arrive at an endpoint of `visual realism′. This approach is the pervasive influence on curricular planning, in arts education and in early years education. The author explains recent different models of development in visual expression. Instead of measuring children′s efforts against an adult paradigm, the new models identify the modes of representation used by children as consequences of children′s own intentions, motivations and priorities. The writing is accessible and assumes no specialist knowledge of psychological theory, art, its history or interpretation. This book is essential reading for early childhood educators, at nursery and pre-school level, for other professionals who work with very young children and parents, as well as students and tutors on early years courses. This is a revised edition of Helping Children to Draw and Paint: Children and Visual Representation, originally published in 1994.

Of all the Germanic peoples who were later to carve out successor kingdoms to the Roman empire, much more is known of the Goths than of any other group in the period before the great migrations of the late fourth and early fifth centuries. The Goths are thus of unique importance in our evaluation of the kinds of changes that these migrations worked upon the tribal neighbors of the Roman empire, as well as upon the Roman empire itself. This volume brings together many of the most important historical texts, the majority of them not previously available in English translation. Also included are representative selections, with commentary, from the Gothic New Testament, and, with ample illustration, the archaeological evidence unearthed by Soviet and Romanian scholars from the so-called Sîntan de Mures/Cernjachov culture associated with Gothic occupation of the trans-Danubian regions in the third and fourth centuries.